Only New York City's best bars can make it here.

Frying Pan

2009 June 22

by Iheartnycbars

One of the best places to be in the summer! Built in 1929, this is a historic lightship (one of 13 remaining from more than 100 built). The US Coast Guard used lightships as floating lighthouses to guard other ships that were too far from land to be served by a lighthouse on shore. The crew was stationed aboard ship for three months, followed by two months of shore leave. It was said to be a job “filled with months of boredom followed by minutes of pure fear”. (Sounds like most jobs right now.) The Frying Pan spent three years at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay before being salvaged and brought to Chelsea Piers. Now it is a blast to explore its barnacle-encrusted interior (complete with catwalks and an exposed engine room). The front quarters often serve as dj lounge while live acts use the stage in the dark belly of the ship. On the pier, a tiki bar serves up booze and burgers, and a 16-foot observation plank offers a fantastic view of the Hudson.